The chemistry between Alexis and Katie was brewing in the first book of this series so I’d been looking forward to reading their story. The book started out with the sexiest of non-sex scenes and the chemistry between Alexis and Katie was off the charts. The butch/femme dynamic in Jenny Frame’s books can get a little too much for me but it wasn’t very prominent in this one, which I liked. My one complaint is that there was so much else going on the Alexis/Katie storyline got a little lost sometimes, but overall I enjoyed this book way more than the first as I think the lead couple had sparks flying off one another. I also loved Alexis’s character and her vulnerability and strength. I look forward to reading Daisy and Victorija’s story.

Longing for You was a fun, flowery jaunt into lesbian vampire romance that follows the vampire/human – first love trope.
I really enjoyed the story of Alexis and Katie. In fact, I had to fight the urge not to skip chapters and get to the “good parts” that focus on those two. It was just as you would expect of a vampire/human love story and followed the trope well with hot love scenes, a reasonable amount of angst, and more than a few swoony moments.

I enjoyed this book but there were a few things that I didn’t enjoy as much. First, this is the second book in a series full of drama and action. While Frame does drop a lot of background info here and there in the beginning, I was confused about a few things. It took quite a bit for me to understand the world and what was going on in it – something I don’t think would have happened if I’d read book 1 first – so I recommend doing that.
I also think the book would have benefited from a Terms Used section with words and definitions and, maybe, a sort of family tree or something since relationships among family are brought up. The definitions would have really helped me early on since I thought Duca might be a last name and not a title for a while and then realized I was wrong.

If you’re interested in a short lesbian vampire romance with some witch/vampire action in the background – AND have read book 1 – you will likely enjoy Longing for You.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley. You must read the first book in this series before starting this one. Not only do you get to know Katie and Alexis a little better but a majority of the plot revolves around what occurred in the last book. I loved that in addition to Alexis and Katie we got to revisit Amelia and Byron. This was a great read, if you love romance and supernatural this book will not disappoint!

So before I start, I did not read book one of this series and sorta wish I had. It doesn't appear that one would need to read book 1, BUT the characters in book one play an important part in Longing for You. So this story is about Alexis Villier and Katie Brekman. Alexis is a Vampire and Katie works as Head housekeeper in the Debrek house. Katie has had a long time crush on Alexis and Alexis is in love with Katie. The problem is that Alexis has some baggage that keeps her wanting to ever love again.

Along with the love story between Alexis and Katie, there is a main story going on that started in book 1 of the series. It feels that a good recap is given in Longing for You, so I didn't feel lost. I admit that vampire romances are my favorite, but I do like to step out of my little box sometimes to read some paranormal stuff. I thought this was good enough. I wanted things to progress faster between the mains, but the pacing was still okay because of the back story that was going. I would say that I can't wait for the 3rd book in this series to come out, but I am not sure if I really am invested at this point. If you like being on edge and like the paranormal stuff you likely will want to read this one.

3.5 stars.

This arc was provided by the publisher for an honest review.

In my review for number one in this series, I asked for more witches and for Alexis and Katie to get together and that’s what we get in this next instalment. Yeah! Nice work. It’s still a little bit slow in places, which is a shame as the storyline is there. Some of the confrontation needs beefing up with a tad more drama added. Some of the baddie stuff happens too quickly; it could be drawn out more to bring in a bit of suspense. But overall, I like this series and enjoyed the book. I’m also looking forward to reading the next one. Maybe Sera can get in on the action? I have no idea why such a minor character has captured my interest, I guess she just sounds fun.

Alexis, Byron's right hand and best friend, has been alone for centuries and likes it that way because it keeps her free from heartbreak. That is until she meets Katie, whose family has been feeding the Debrek clan for years, and who is now the head of the household. Katie is irresistible to Alexis, but Alexis can't open herself up to heartbreak and does everything in her power to keep the distance between them. As the Vampire-Witch War grows, the two can't help but grow closer, but at the risk of losing everything.

This book follows a short story Dapper and Hunger for You which introduces Byron and Amelia and this Vampire world. It's not totally necessary to read the first few books - but I highly recommend them because they were really good. I didn't love this book because I felt like there was too much repetition and details about what had happened in previous books - even if you hadn't read previous books it was a lot. Plus I felt like there was a lot of telling about what had happened in the past between Alexis and Katie rather than allowing the reader to actually experience their relationship. I had been really excited for this book, after their relationship was teased in the previous book. Their chemistry is great and Jenny Frame always writes well. I really love the world created here and reading the continuation of the drama between the Vampire clans but the romance fell short for me. Still I'm looking forward to the next book!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jenny Frame just wrote another amazing book! Katie and Alexis are well crafted as they journey the vampire and human connection. The book is really moving into the weaving of Byron and Amelias next exciting chapter, and well Daisy....wow! I am ready NOW for the next book! Longing for You really speaks to love, and oddly enough how the past does influence the present. All the paranormal creatures are fantastic and ultimately the story is handled with true craftsmanship that Jenny Frame brings to all her stories.

Where to begin? I have read many of this authors book and most of the time I either absolutely loved them - or not so much! The first one of this was somewhere inbetween but this one was rather disappointing. It was just so... predictable. Everything. But not in the good kind of way there sometimes is. It was just... annoying. The motivation for Alexi's actions: understandable of sort - of course - but still annoying!
And there was too much story of Amelia and Byron in it! So all in all I'm definetly waiting on the next one and hoping I will love this one again!

I received an ARC copy of the book from the Publisher via. Net Galley for an exchange of my HONEST review.

Result: Disappointing
Rating: 1.50

Wow this is just…wow. First there are a few things I want to say before I start my official review of this book. I know Bold Strokes aka Old Strokes banned me because I’m blunt with my reviews; and I know honesty can be an issue for them since I actually put effort into writing my reviews and reading the stories they put out, as I don’t do what some reviewers on here do which is just give the book five stars. I’m not here to just copy and paste the synopsis of the book for my feedback and say everything about this book is grand, I always believe honesty is the best policy. Yet alas I’m tasked to review this baby diaper full of crap. I’m not going to stop writing and reviewing Ms. Frames work or any other authors work from Bold Strokes, as the Bold Strokes Staff do need to be exposed for their mistreatment to authors of color. However, I do not base all my reviews on my own bias as there are books that are good and for that I will give the author credit.
Now I know that these reviews are based on the creditability of others as it helps to generate sales, but I do believe that the customers always come first and they deserve to know the truth of what they are reading. So, if Bold Strokes or Ms. Frame cannot take the truth and if they choose to ban me again, then they have a real issue and they need to toughen up. Yet even for my blunt and maybe sometimes harsh reviews when it comes to Frames books; it’s obvious Frame is reading them because she did the one thing that I said would downgrade her in my eyes when I left my review for Blood of the Pack. Now to be honest I was going to break this up into the Good, Bad and Ugly, but there is just so much Bad and Ugly in this book I do not know what to say. However, their will be major spoilers within my review.


The Good.
Well it ended with a happy ending…I guess. Now as much as I think that this book is a living dumpster fire there were a few silver linings. My first good thing was the crossover between the characters from her werewolf series and vampire series, I thought the cameos and mentions of Kendrick and the Wolfgang Pack were good. My second good thing about the book is the concept of death and emptiness and the after effect of it; I felt like that was done well on Ms. Frames end when it came to Katie, as even the issue of her being cold was a nice touch. The third good thing was Katie and Alex’s sex scene it was so much better, and it was not nearly as gross as the strap sucking with Amelia and Bryon. It was a nice moment between Katie and Alexis, and it seemed like it was beautifully written despite my reservations about the romantic chemistry between Alex and Katie. However, that is all I got for the good because I am rating this book a one and a half stars; so I don’t want to hear any comments that I bullied this woman because I told the truth, as I’ve wrote other good and bad reviews for other authors as well. Now I’m not a hard woman to please in the romance factor, but I am a very logical woman and I believe anyone can write anything, but please just make it make sense. If you want to know my feelings on the matter, sad to say Longing for You made no sense at all.


The Bad
Oh, my cheese and crackers I do not know where to start. This book is like watching two trains on the same track run at full speed towards each other, and mind you the passengers on board are all crackheads. Longing for You is a wreck and it is as simple as that. Lesbian Jesus help me. Ok…where do I start? Really if I had to say the start of this book was just appalling; everything from syntax, plot, dialog, continuity, and pacing it was just a mess. Longing for You is like the Season 8 of Game of Thrones but on steroids. Now I’m sure everyone who has seen and not seen Game of Thrones Season 8 knows it was trash, and going from that to reading this; I have to say Longing for You comes kinda close to the garbage bin of failure that is Game of Thrones Season 8. But hey at least GOT picked up some Emmy’s before it went to hell, now as for Longing for You; it is just horrid all the way through.
Personally, with the amount of time that was spent on Bryon and Amelia this should have been solely book two for them. As a writer myself I would have structured Hunger and Longing for You to be both Amelia and Bryon’s book; then by book three and four I would have moved on to Alexis and Katie to flesh them out more as characters. I do not know why Frame always changes the characters with each new book of her series. She never solely sticks to the main characters from the previous book, and it makes no sense especially when her endings are left with cliffhangers and unexplored lore. It is often when us as readers come back to the previous couple within the new couples’ story that we are left with unnecessary time lapses; and from that the plot suffers, as the main characters previous conflict of the last book is always incomplete making everything seem emotionally disconnected. Now as for pacing between Victorija, Bryon, Daisy, Amelia, Drasas, Anka, Katie, and Alexis the pacing sucked; most of the character arcs shifted from paragraph to paragraph and it got annoying fast. Even as I was reading, I could not fully invest myself within the conflict that each character arc presented. Yet even in that I will be listing out some of the issues I had with this book.

1. Exposition Dumps, Plot Choices, and Tedious Syntax Errors
Wow what can I say about Longing for You, I am just going to say I am not longing to read this anytime soon, no pun intended. You know when I read the mess that was HFY (Hunger for You) I thought the nightmare was over. Really, I thought I was done with the crappy plot lines and the strap-on sucking that was in Hunger for You. However, just like the pee-soaked-city-blocks of Los Angeles after a rainstorm, the stench of piss and despair keeps coming back and Longing for You comes awfully close to that stench. Besides the appalling syntax errors, the first half of this book was spent reminding me who the hell everyone is. I mean I didn’t need to be reminded why Bryon wears a strap-on all day that probably smells like old musty gym socks and old sunbaked meatloaf; and I didn’t need to be reminded why Angelo is the “Black Token Cousin.” I mean we as readers could always read the first book to get the information we needed, but nooooo we had to suffer through the most sloppiest and uncoordinated introduction ever, and in the middle of Byron and Amelia’s wedding no less.
Which leads me to the wedding, now why in the heck would you have a wedding in the middle of a war? That is like me stepping into a busy New York Street blind folded. It made no logical sense to have a wedding in the middle of a vampire and witch war; and if Ms. Frame wanted to do the whole love/war thing, the whole book could’ve focused on Bryon and Amelia as they prepared for her human wedding and struggled with the oncoming war. Just as well why the hell were witch representatives at the wedding? I mean aren’t these the same people who you know…tried to kill your clan a book ago? And aren’t these the same people you are currently at war with and that off-handedly got your grandmother killed? It is like continuity is so out the window this time around. Yet I would’ve forgiven the continuity errors, if anything she wrote made sense. The first time I read Hunger for You I saw one or two typos and a few syntax errors, but I could read the whole thing overall and there was a flow in the sentence structure, but Longing for You is a hot mess. Most of the lines made no sense and I want to give Frame the excuse that she didn’t know because she is Scottish, but that excuse has run long since out. I mean when you have lines like, “Just your luck to get scary features.” or “She’s not worthy of my teenage crush.” or “They were not dark Witches in The New Forrest.” It makes the whole flow of the book suffer as everything felt clunky. I do not know what Bold Strokes is doing with their editing department, but they have really dropped the ball for not correcting this book before sending it out to be slaughtered by me. I had to put the book down a total of 154 times, and there were times I wanted to rip my eyes out because I was stumbling to grasp what she was saying. Now mind you, I have no reading disabilities and I can see fine, so I know something was wrong as I was reading. I think Frame needs to learn a bit more about syntax or the editing department of Bold Strokes needs to give a…I don’t know an actual fuck about what their editing? I mean this mess with the editing department started long before Covid19 was a thing. Which leads me to my next complaint.

2. Pacing and Missed Opportunities
You know when you have a Twilight Zone moment, and you say to yourself what the hell just happened? Well when reading this book everything just went from A to Z when it came to each paragraph; I know I’m doubling down on my previous comments, but the pacing of this book was so off that it made a lot of things seem like they came from left field making me wonder what the hell happened. Overall, it made me feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities to give more lore to the story. First, we get the bogus introduction to Byron’s Parents that was so lackluster; I mean Bryon spoke about her parents fondly in the previous book, but now it is like all that dialog from the first book got wasted. I wanted to see just how intimidating Byron’s parents could be to Amelia; personally, I would have written it so much differently and better. I know I would have explored how Byron’s Parents would react to Amelia, and I would have explored how Byron’s parents interacted with Byron and her choices to wed a human as head of the clan. I mean it is different to feed from humans, yet to marry one is another matter. Whatever the case it was a missed opportunity that Frame threw away, and once again we as readers are stuck with the same old used-out-plot she has been writing for nine to ten books now. It was like a major disconnect in this book, and what made it worse was the horrid pacing and switching between characters each paragraph; none of the interactions or conflicts sunk in from character to character.
In addition to missed opportunities and pacing, the relationship between Katie and Alexis felt like such a waste. Katie and Alexis barely had any sufficient time with their scenes together as most of the book was swallowed up by Byron and Amelia. The title is called Longing for You and Katie and Alexis were the couple that were represented within the synopsis, so that meant they should’ve had more priority in the story if that was what Frame was going for. Alex even in the end seemed unsure with her love for Katie, and they had short parts that jumped from place to place. Alexis and Katie never really felt rooted as two characters that were in love with each other, as they felt like friends with benefits really. Personally, I did not get anything from Alexis and Katies dynamic, it was just the basic boring story of Alex wanting Katies blood and the both of them wanting to fuck each other; it was the same-old-mess that I read four books ago with different characters. It felt like no initial time was spent with Katie and Alex because we kept getting into Byron and Amelia’s relationship, as they had more scenes in the book then Katie and Alex.
I mean if you compared Katie and Alexis to Byron and Amelia’s scenes, it seemed like Alex and Katie were both on an awkward Tinder Date/ Hook Up. Just as well I felt like Alexis loss of Anna and her trauma from it was unneeded as she had nearly a hundred and seventy years to get over it. Think about it, most of us lesbians are over our second girlfriend after we hook up with our fifth girlfriend. Like I said before this should’ve been Amelia and Bryon’s second book, even if Frame wanted to keep her same trashy plot with Amelia it would have come together more smoothly plot wise. Lastly on a side note, Frame needs to work on her descriptions of characters because all I see when I picture them, is department store mannequins with strange colored eyes in a cheap fashion-store-wig; or at least that was what I got when Frame was describing Byron’s parents.

The Ugly
Well it’s that time again…the ugly. Now I know some people were waiting on it and some people are going to hate what I say, but I need to speak my truth. This book is beyond horrid, just when I thought 50 Shades of Gray and Twilight were flaming piles of trash; here comes Frame swooping in like a thunder cloud full of crap to give us more rubbish we don’t need. I mean the issue that I find with books like Frame, 50 Shades, and Twilight is the issue of their main protagonists and their toxic behaviors with women, and I think a lot of lesbian fiction has been mimicking that same ignorant trend of toxic behavior disguised as love for years. The masculine women in Frames books like Alexis and Bryon; are often the ones to take on toxic behaviors of men and sometimes the toxicity spreads to her more feminine women within her books as well. Now I know Alexis didn’t stalk Katie like Edward from Twilight, but she damn sure argued with Katie so much so about her “safety” that it made Alexis look like a controlling ass. Just as well their other toxic parts with Alexis as she got jealous when Katie was dancing with someone at the wedding and then there was the issue with the painter. However that is not the main stupidity of it all, as this book is a litter of mess as Frame regresses Katie to an idiot; I mean can someone explain to me why a girl with a full-paid-ride to a college university would come back home to be a freaking maid? Along with the added list of grievances, the sad part is Frame tried to messily explain within the plot that love and hate are the same. Any real writer with enough common-sense and confidence would know that is not an excuse to put someone in a toxic relationship.
All I know is I have enough confidence within myself to not want to be with someone that I have to argue with all the time and really, I don’t want to read about arguing assholes turned lovers. Granted relationships have complications, but to say Alexis and Katie were in a healthy pre-relationship is not good. At this point with all the toxicity within Frames books and this one you might as well change the pronouns really. Its sad that Frame seems to fall into that category of writers that advocate this kind of toxicity, I mean there is more than one way to add conflict to a plot. It was almost after the painter and Alexis scene that I was going to put this book as a DNF; but I had to remember that I had an obligation to this book. Nevertheless, between Alexis and Katie arguing and wanting to fuck each other and boring Daisy; Frames writing gives off a message that toxic behavior is a sign of love when clearly, it’s not. Now mind some of the things I’m going to say will bleed into some of the previous complaints up top, and I know that this is a book and its meant for entertainment, but when somethings are just wrong they just are.


1. Ubers, Blood Virgins, and Dead Lovers Hair?
What in the hell? You know there’s a lot of things I can deal with. For instance, I could deal with rampant racist cops, my boss being a dick from time to time, and I can deal with the vending machine not having my favorite chips. However, what I can’t deal with is calling the very people you get your blood from portable Ubers. Like really Ubers? Like doesn’t Bryon and Alex live in the same house as their servants and armed staff? I mean if they didn’t it would’ve been easier to write that the staff go home daily, making the Uber thing make more sense if anyone called for them on the app. Just as well what was that thing about Alexis holding on to her dead lovers’ hair!
When I read that Alexis was holding on to Anna’s hair, I was like what in the Ted Bundy is going on here? Now I’ve read my fair share of creepy and can handle a lot for a woman; but when you just randomly save your dead ex-girlfriends hair who has been dead for nearly two-hundred years, things are beyond normal. I think the issue about this mess is that between every paragraph, character, and changing of scene, there are rapid and unknown alterations added to the established world that give no backstory and it comes off as rushed and uncoordinated. Now I think many can agree Frames world was very much established in Hunger for You, and for the most part it was fine just as it was even within its chaotic mess. However, when you start adding the fact that you could call on your feeding staff like Ubers, and then you don’t even elaborate on the system it just becomes downright lazy and useless to the plot. I know Frame wanted to be creative when it came to the issue of feeding but really, she could have labeled it differently or gave more of a detail to it the first book. The lack of detail is the main issue of this book and you can find it all over if you read more closely. And in between the oversexualized Blood Virgin thing, Amelia seeing ghosts that she failed to mention before, and the thick-ass Mary-Sue plot armor. The whole thing became an eyesore as nothing seemed rooted in this book, there was no reason or rhyme as things were just mentioned and nothing was elaborated on. To me as a reader that was the part that sucked, as Frame assumed that we as readers were supposed to roll with her random changes.
Now back to the Alexis and dead ex-girlfriend situation; I mean I know about losing people close to me, but the hair thing was so off putting. Then to make efforts worse Katie found Anna’s hair and she was just being cool with it? Like what the hell? I mean Alexis could have just held on to Anna’s favorite sweater or something, please can we all agree that the hair thing was creepy as hell. Overall I felt no pain or connection with Alexis and her loss of Anna, as really I saw no conflict with Alexis attachment to a dead Anna and her new love for Katie; it says in the first book Anna died nearly one-hundred and seventy years ago, and if that’s not enough time to get over someone then what the hell is. I really don’t know why Frame sets herself up for failure when it comes to certain aspects of her books, but really Alexis holding on to a dead woman’s hair for nearly two-hundred years is some next level Ted Bundy shit.
2. Mass Murders, Dylann Roof Treatment, The Magic of Love, and Evil Black Witches.
So, I am sure people are wondering why do I ask for this book if I hate it? Well the matter is simple really; there was one character that I liked, and that character was Victorija. To me Victorija was one of the best villains that Frame had written. Victorija was complex, smart, cruel, and not without reason for her evil deeds, and the interesting part about her was that she was not wrong for her anger and need for revenge. So now that I stated my opinions on Victorija let us get to the huge issue that I have, now I don’t know about some of you readers but I’m beyond disgusted. Now the only reason why I was holding on to this trash bin of a series was because of Victorija; now mind you that I often find Frames books to be a poorly renditioned comedy of bad Twilight Fan-Fiction, but she ruined Victorija. And just when I thought Frame couldn’t get any lower, she did. However, I have a question can anyone tell me why is Victorija getting the Dylann Roof Treatment? You don’t get to have antagonists like Victorija mass murder people and just get rewarded with love and with basic Daisy no less! I mean since when are we pardoning mass murdering vampires? Now I didn’t mind that Victorija was evil and murdering people she’s an antagonist and it’s her job. However, when you have white antagonists like Victorija mass murdering humans and giving no fucks only to replace her with a black antagonist; and then to go off and then give Victorija the white mass murderer a redemption arc in the form of love, is downright a dick move.
The sudden Victorija switch up is going to lead to the same route as it always does as Victorija’s character is ruined. The reason why I say that is because after reading other books from Frame, I know she is going to take the simple route because she’s a lazy writer. I can literally save everyone nine-dollars on the next book; so Frame is going to make Daisy and her love save the day, and its gonna heal Victorija’s heart and Bryon isn’t going to kill her cousin because she’s “good” and they are going to gather to defeat the great black evil witch. Really people I just saved you money and time, Frame does not know how to write a redemption arc; and what makes me mad about this is that Victorija’s redemption arc is coming at the cost of vilifying a black woman. I mean who kills droves of people on a whim and gets a happy ending or compassion much less? I knew Bold Strokes were white-feminists, but at this point they should just put on their Klan hoods and Swastika’s if they are going to make Anka the devil at this point.
Frame and Old Strokes need to check into 2020, black people are being labeled as villains in a critical time where racism is rampant; and the literary world is changing as more women of color are writing and speaking out against racist publishers! Frame does not understand when you put a black villain like Anka it sends a message to narrow-minded people, and yes there are racist people who are a part of the LBGTQA+ community as well; I’m looking at you Bold Strokes Staff. Now I do not want to label Frame as a racist, but it is looking like the damn shoe is half-way on at this point. There was no need for the crossover with Anka as she had come from her Wolfgang County Books, and really if she wanted to make more use of black people in her books; she should’ve had black people in prominent and frequent side roles. I mean Angelo is still just a lamppost character and Anka is a villain, it still looks bad either way. I know there are a lot of readers saying they can’t wait for Daisy and Victorija’s book, but by the love of lesbian Jesus I’m praying for the people who want a train wreck like that. Now mind you I know they are characters, and this is just a book; but people think logically on what you read before dishing out five-stars.
Which leads me to the power and magic of love, like really? I said it once and I’ll say it again Frame cannot make a magic system to save her life. I mean so love just solves everything and not to mention Amelia is the chosen one how freaking convenient. I hoped to keep this professional, but really as a black woman I just can’t as this mess is ridiculous. Look I know that love is a mysterious thing, but it doesn’t have to be a stupidly unrealistic thing that just falls in line with the universe; love is a good thing but its messy and its complicated and often the world challenges your love. Like really everything concerning Amelia’s Wiccan powers are handed out to Amelia on first insight; so, she knows how to see the dead, lift shoes, and hear the voices of her ancestors all in one go? And all she did was just step into a magical game saving circle, fucks Bryon and it clicks? I mean even when Amelia “struggled” with her powers it didn’t seem believable. Really with the added pacing issues it makes her progress as a Witch even more idiotic. Not to mention the same old chosen one trope about good and evil is played out, I mean people are kind of sick of it I know I am.



3. Magic Water, Super Hearing, Dead Ancestors, and Strap-on Sucking Again?
Now I have to ask everyone this. Why would a vampire that you claim to be strong over and over in your books have a need for magical healing water that brings you back from death? I mean this part of the story is beyond stupid. Just when I thought the plot armor of love would protect Byron’s Crew; Boring Bhal has magic water that you can drink from her hands that will respawn Katie and Amelia quicker than a Battle Royale Match on Fortnite. First off drinking water from someone else’s hand is beyond gross I know Covid19 in the book doesn’t exist, but from that scene the inner germaphobe in me was cringing.
Also, why would you let a stray vampire into your home in the middle of a vampire and witch war! The Josie thing was so unnecessary, and even if it was necessary this book really ensures that there are no permanent consequences to dumb actions, as it is such an unrealistic view on vampires and life in general. Now I know Boring Bhal was as useless as wet cardboard drying, but to make her this magic healer that can respawn these bitches as if they were on Call of Duty really? Not to mention if she had that ability why couldn’t Bryon and Alexis keep their lovers with Bhal one-hundred and seventy years ago? Especially if they were human. It would have been better if Frame left Katie for dead and made Alexis travel to find someone to bring her back.

Which leads me to my next rant. So, can someone explain to me why is it that Bryon and Alexis keep going on about their super hearing as vampires in this book, but they can’t freaking hear when Katie is getting attacked under their own roof! Frame went on for miles a minute talking about these vampires and their superior hearing; and then when Katie gets attacked its like they can’t hear Katie struggling or calling for help. I mean if these are vampires with super hearing wouldn’t they have at least heard the slamming or breaking of a cup? I don’t know about you, but I seem to recall Katie throwing tea in Josies face. This is the same thing with the speed situation from the last book Hunger for You; Frame wrote over and over how Bryon was fast and strong, but she let her grandmother get killed while Byron had a Simba from Lion King moment when Mufasa died. Once again Frame fails at following the rule of showing and not telling; she really needs to take an online writing class because I know Fan Fiction written by blind kids sounds better than this hot garbage.

Now to bring forward another thing the dead ancestors. So, people answer me this does it make sense to you to have the voices of your dead ancestors in your head while having sex with your wife? Because I don’t know whether to call an exorcist or a therapist. I am going to be honest with you its freaking creepy that Amelia can possibly hear her dead mothers voice in the middle of sucking Bryon’s smelly onion scented strap-on. I don’t know about you readers, but when I’m having sex with a woman, I purposefully forget that I have parents. So, I don’t get why the hell Ms. Frame would write something like that. I know she was trying to correlate sex to magic, but the ancestral family thing and hearing their voices was fucking creepy; also, why is she even involving sex in the parts of the book that aren’t really needed? Frame really had a shot to make the dead ancestor voices thing work when it came to Amelia discovering her powers as a Witch. I would have made Amelia go crazy or something, I would have done anything, and I mean ANYTHING, but the dead ancestor before and after sex angle was cringy. And to double down on my point, really people ask yourself this; do you want to hear your dead grandmothers voice in your head while you are having sex? I think the answer is no. So next and final complaint.
You know…I am not a prude as a lesbian. I know with my reviews of Frame it feels like I can be, but I’m not. Often the simplistic side of me as a woman enjoys a steamy sex scene, and the girl in me enjoys a nice healthy romance between women. Personally, I like to think of myself as a freak in the sheets on more than one occasion when I read a good erotica. So for better or worse as a thirty-year-old woman I know my way around a bedroom; so that means I understand that in the middle of passion people say things that keep the moment heated during their encounters. However, when Frame says crap like this, “Although it wasn’t real, in Byron’s headspace it was, and that’s all she needed to enjoy this act. And unlike a real cock, neither Bryon nor her lover were ever let down.” Or when she writes things like, “I’m going to come on you.” Or when Frame mentions, “Would you like me to suck your cock, Principe?” I will say it once and I will say it again BRYON IS NOT A FREAKING MAN! I mean this is the grossest crap ever, like how the hell is Bryon going to come on Amelia? She is a woman dressed as a man! I mean we all know that two plus two equals four, but with Frame it is like two plus two equals Rocket Science.

Frames idea of lesbian sex is so complicated and strange. I don’t mind reading about toys in the bedroom and I believe in the power of the strap-on but there are mental limits that shouldn’t be crossed, and it feels like Bryon crosses all of those lines. Really her sex scenes with Bryon and Amelia feel like it’s a sex scene between two straight people and as a woman who loves women, I don’t want to read about a woman who acts like she has a real dick. I mean the only way I would accept Byron’s attachment to her wearing strap-on’s, was if she was a woman trying to transition as a man. I mean I get that she had to act like a man for the sake of history but I’m going to assume this book is set in the present day, so really there is no need for it to go that far when it comes to sex. Really, I feel like Bryon is one step away from getting top and bottom surgery.
Personally, I felt like bleaching my own eyes when I read that scene; just as well I’m getting sick of women who are masculine trying to put down men. I mean I get that female empowerment is here to stay, and I myself share in a masculine nature as a lesbian woman; but I don’t go into the deep end with it and think I’m an actual man, and I don’t put men down as a whole. Overall, my point is I think Frame should make Bryon transition as a man, because she’s hitting some mental, social, and physical cues that makes me want to think that Bryon wants to have a sex change. And no lie if Frame did that it would be cool as Trans-Lives do matter; but Frame needs to stop trying to ease her readers into gross sex scenes with cringy ass lines and pass it off as if they were lesbian sex. And mind you I understand that this could be a part of roleplay, but to be honest this is far from it; I wanted to read about lesbians, not cringy ass dialog during sex.

My Final Thoughts
So, in conclusion there is no way in hell that I would recommend this to anyone. In my opinion I would rate this book 1.50 stars. I mean its clear that Old Strokes and Frame have given up on this book, everything from Syntax errors to the pacing of the plot is just lackluster; and at this point she ruined the series when she screwed up Victorija’s character and put the black evil villain for no apparent reason. Alexis and Katie were barely in the book, and when we got to them, they had all the romantic chemistry and mental compatibility of paint drying; and speaking of paint. I rather burn holes into my brain by inhaling buckets of paint and gasoline, than to remember this mess again. Seriously I was really holding on to the fact that Frame would actually do something with Victorija but she didn’t, this series is beyond saving and I hate to say people are horrible writers; but there is the saying that if the shoe fits and well…let’s just say with Frame the shoe is half way on.

This is a one sitting read. Very well written, full of intrigue, romance and steamy love scenes. It is part 2 of a series but can be read as a standalone. This story focuses on Katie and Alex. Drawn to each other for years but circumstances and time make them unactionable. There are witches, vampires and werewolves. You will not be disappointed.

Sequel to Hungry for You. Follows the Debrek family Duca - 2nd in command - Alexis. You will want to read Hungry for you first - not a deal breaker, but would definitely be best.

After the brutal murder of the (human) woman she loved by rival vampires, Alexis Villiers has closed her heart to relationships. But the return of Katie Brekman to the Debrek family retinue leaves Alexis running from the very real feelings she can't seem to shake. After Katie is attacked, Alexis's fears are laid bare but so is the reality that running forever means she will miss out on the now.

**I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Alexis and Katie have pined for one another for a long time, everything changes when Katie is attacked by a vampire and severely injured.

Alexis: Alexis is well aware of how fragile humans are. Loving a human means either losing them to injury, or having to watch them grow old and eventually lose them to old age. After losing her first love in a vampire attack Alexis vow to never fall in love again.

Katie: Growing up among vampires have given Katie a unique relationship with the paranormal. She returns after collage and becomes head housekeeper, a role her parents had before her. Katie is hard working, but having grown up in a clan in which consent is key she's somewhat naive to how the rest of the paranormal world works.

Pro:
Steamy and well written sex scenes
More than two MCs - You get to follow the MCs from the previous book, but get to know more people around them. This gives a broader perspective to how different events are seen by different characters.
Can be read as a stand-alone - I have not read the previous book. Whilst this book works perfectly well as a stand-alone, it would probably be even more appreciated by someone who has read the previous one. (Hunger for you, Jenny Frame)
Well defined paranormal world

Con:
Indecisive MC - Alexis is very indecisive. It is natural considering her history, but for me it greatly reduced my reading pleasure.
Non satisfying ending - As this is a book in a series, some cliffhangers are expected. I felt like I didn't get the closure I needed in the Alexis/Katie-romance that I wanted after the emotional roller coaster they went through.

I normally love Jenny Frames books, but unfortunately this one didn't quite hit the mark for me.

This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

I don't know if I was supposed to read the first book, in the Wild For You series but even without reading it this book was enchanting all it's own. Yes to more sapphic vampire stories.

3.75 Stars. I had fun with this read. It has its bumps but it was some good Friday night at home from the pandemic -entertainment. Jenny Frame can be really hit or miss for me, but as a paranormal fan I love that she has created this paranormal universe that now stretches into four books, one novella, and one short story. This is actually the second book in her Wild for You series that focuses on vampires and witches. Vamps and witches, you can’t get much better than that pairing. While Frame does explain enough about what happened in the previous book, if you are new to the series I would recommend at least reading book one Hunger for You first. This new book has 4 main characters, including the mains from book one so you would be at a loss not getting to see how their relationship developed. And if you are like me and very OCD about reading books in order, you might want to give the short story Dapper a try first since technically it is the prequel to this whole series.

I must admit that I was not big on the first book of this series. I find Frame’s werewolf series, Wolfgang County -which takes place in the same universe- to be more enjoyable. However, this second book worked a lot better for me and I just had fun with it. It had issues yes, but when you are having fun with a read it is easier to forgive the little problems. I still do have the overall complaint that I wish this series had more action in it. I like my paranormal-romances to be at least 50/50 when it comes to ratio of action to romance. But again, I was more forgiving in this book because this felt like a build-up book. It appears that this book is setting the table for a climatic action sequence to happen in the next book so finally, and with a little bit of faith, I’m hopeful I will get my action next book.

There are 2 couples in this book, one established pair of Byron and Amelia, and the potential new couple in Alexis (great name;) and Katie. I enjoyed where Byron and Amelia's storyline went. Amelia is still just at the beginning of her journey so it was nice to see it continue and also see their relationship evolve even more. Alexis and Katie’s courtship is a little faster than I normally would like. And while the chemistry is there you have to wonder if feelings were moving too fast. However, their chemistry actually started up in the first book. I found them really interesting in book one and I knew they would be a staring couple in this book. So again, if you read these books in order, I think you will enjoy their romance more by getting to see the whole picture. Speaking of both couples, you are in for some steamy sex scenes, especially when it comes to Byron and Amelia. They are so steamy you could almost put the erotic tag on this book.

I don’t want to mention many plot details since I don’t want to spoiler any fun but I will say that this ended on a baby cliffhanger. Now, it’s not really a cliffhanger that should make you wait for book three to come out before you read this. It’s not that bad really. But, what it does well is it makes you very interested in what book three might bring including a possible major enemies to lovers romance. Let’s just say that Frame has my attention and I will 100% be reading the next book.

If you are a Frame fan, I think you will enjoy this one. If you are new to the series I would highly recommend reading at least the first book in the series before this one. I’m not crazy about book one, and this series has its bumps, but this book was a fun read and the good escapism that we could all use right now so I’m a happy camper.

Very good book, lots of action both in the bedroom and out. This book is full of strong women who need to save the world from evil. I have not read the first book in the series but I definitely will, I am looking forward to the next one and I hope to see that love can save you even if you are on the path of self distraction. I haven’t read a book from this author before but if all her books are this good I know she will have a fan in me.

I'm really upset with myself for not realizing that this was part of a series until I was halfway in, because I'm extremely fussy when it comes to reading in order. Especially a book like this, where the previous protagonists feature regularly in the new story.
I don't read a lot of paranormal stuff, and I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The author managed to create an immersive world, which is always an important aspect of fantasy. At first, it was a little disconcerting that we were in the middle of Alexis and Katie's story and not the beginning, but it was nicely done. It would have been better if Alexis had been less overbearing, because the first third of the story gave off Fifty Shades of Grey vibes. I enjoyed the story a lot more when their relationship became a little more equal.
I'm curious to see what the next instalment will bring, especially the storyline with Victorija. She's painted as a villain by the Debrek clan, but I think we're gearing up to see a different side of her. Four and a half stars.

This was a great read.

The first book was great and although I enjoy this book it had too many things going on with the other characters Victorjia Daisy Bryon Amelia Madam Anka that it felt like Alexis and Katie wasn’t the MC. Even though I felt the chemistry between them I wish we had more of them.

I love this author hope the next book is about Daisy and Victorjia because it was nice getting to know them. I love vampire and human loves stories.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

***Spoiler Alert***

I love the series and I love JF as a writer. I will continue to purchase whatever she puts out because she is just that good. The first book was phenomenal. This book seemed to have too many story lines I too few pages: there was Byron and Amelia, Alexis and Katie, Victorija and Daisy, and Madam Anka. Because there were so many stories to follow, none of the storylines were really fleshed out. It seemed like Alexia and Katie were an afterthought. I think that maybe they had 100 pages and that’s a short story. For the next book, if there are these stories to follow then please make the book longer so that each story gets it due. Just my thoughts.

* Squealing in excitement *

I’ve been in a reading slump lately, and JF has saved me! I love my Butch/Femme (2 MC or more POV) category.
JF brought, dished out and served! I like how her novels inter-link!
I’m still here for Byron and Amelia always. This was mostly about Alexis and Katie, i kind of feel I didn’t get enough feel of the couple, They had chemistry but it wasn’t has deep as I would have liked. Maybe from my read of the first book series “Hunger for you” I expected more from this one. Also maybe it’s just me not wanting the book to end! 😂
Now I’m so looking forward to Victorija and Daisy, I can just imagine their storyline!

An amazing read as always from Jenny Frame❤️.
Can’t wait for her next book, till then I’ll be in a reading slump funk i guess, if no book catches my attention🥺

Thanks Net Galley for the ARC!